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By Suzanne Blythe

Laurel Peterson was born in Orlando, Florida and lived in Kaukauna, Wisconsin, before coming to Franklin High her senior year of high school. 

After graduating from Franklin High in 2014, Peterson went on to study at Gallaudet University in Washington, D.C., where she learned American Sign Language and was a double major in International Studies and Government with a Specialization in Law.

Peterson held several internships during her college years. She worked as an intern at CNN during the Democratic National Committee convention in 2016 and became a Democrat National Congressional Campaign Committee Scholar. She also interned at a law firm. Her most notable internship is her internship in Chiang Mai, Thailand. While she was in Chiang Mai she worked at Anusansunthon School for the Deaf teaching deaf elementary students American Sign Language and English. Peterson graduated with two bachelor’s degrees in 2018 and earned a master’s in Public Administration in 2020. 

In August 2020 Laurel and JaKwon Cross, another Franklin alumnus, purchased a house in Washington D.C. where they live with two dogs, Hazel and King. Peterson and JaKwon married on May 4, 2021. 

Peterson currently works as an associate human resources coordinator and a part time adjunct professor for Gallaudet University.